Adjustable spreader beam structures

ABSTRACT

An adjustable spreader beam structure is provided with a wheeled trolley adapted to run on an overhead trackway, a pair of spaced sliding bases on said trolley, a cable drum and drive therefor on each of said bases, means for sliding said bases relatively to one another on said trolley, cables depend from each of said drums, a spreader beam suspended on said cables, said beams having a central member, a pair of extensible end members slidable on said central member, one inside the other and means on the central member moving said extensible end members in alignment with the cable drums.

United States Patent 7 [72] Inventor Edward J. Kinkopf Alliance, Ohio [21] Appl. No. 8,307 [22] Filed Feb. 3, 1970 [45] Patented Sept. 14, 1971 [73] Assignee The Alliance Machine Company [54] ADJUSTABLE SPREADER BEAM STRUCTURES 6 Claims, 7 Drawing Figs.

52 U.S. Cl 294/67 DA, 294/81 SF [51] lnt. Cl B66c 1/16 [50] Field of Search 191/12; 294/67 R, 67 A, 67 DA, 67 BB, 81 SF; 212/1 1, 14, 125

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,558,176 1/1971 Fathauer et al 294/67 3,514,146 5/1970 Zweifeletal.

ABSTRACT: An adjustable spreader beam structure is provided with a wheeled trolley adapted to run on an overhead trackway, a pair of spaced sliding bases on said trolley, a cable drum and drive therefor on each of said bases, means for sliding said bases relatively to one another on said trolley, cables depend from each of said drums, a spreader beam suspended on said cables, said beams having a central member, a pair of extensible end members slidable on said central member, one inside the other and means on the central member moving said extensible end members in alignment with the cable drums.

PATENTEUSEPMIBYI 3604.743

sum 2 BF 4 f 3 i F 5 I IL H1 i; E; ll l l l ii a H I l\ II F I m f i ll ll I H :1 H v a all! F 79 {I T}: 2 5 o l' 2 I:

Fig.2.

INVENTOR. EDWARD J. KINKOPF his ATTORNEYS PATENTED SEP14 I97! 3,804; 743

INVENTOR. EDWARD J. KINKOPF his ATTORNEYS PATENTEU SEP 1 41% SHEET '6 OF 4 Y. El 7 1: I 4 i I IN VENT OR.

7 EDWARD J. KINKOPF Mug-K his ATTORNEYS V ADJUSTABLE SPREADER BEAM STRUCTURES This invention relates to adjustable spreader beam structures and particularly to a spreader beam adjustable to handle differing lengths of containers for storage and placement on and offof ships and the like.

The use of containers in handling cargo has become a general practice in the shipping industry. Containers are generally engaged by a spreader beam of rectangular shape having engaging clips for engaging the container to be picked up by a crane trolley. Typical of such spreader beams of the past is that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,078,l15. Such beams as have been used in the past could only handle a single length of container and if containers of different lengths were to be handled, the spreader beam had to be changed. This, of course, means loss of time as well as loss of efficiency.

The present invention provides an adjustable spreader beam which can take any length container and has no limitations between a minimum and a maximum limit.

The invention provides a wheeled trolley adapted to run on an overhead trackway, a pair of spaced cable drums and drives, said drums and drives mounted on sliding bases on said trolley, means for sliding said bases on said trolley, cables depending from each of said drums, a spreader beam suspended on said cables, said beam having a central member, a pair of extensible end members slidable on said central member one inside the other, and means on said central member moving said extensible end members in alignment with the cable drums. Preferably the extensible members and the sliding bases are moved by hydraulic cylinders simultaneously operated to move the bases and end members in alignment.

In the foregoing general description I have set out certain objects, purposes and advantages of my invention. Other objects, purposes and advantages of this invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following description and the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. I is a side elevation of a trolley and spreader according to my invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the trolley of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the spreader of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an end elevation of spreader of FIG. 3;

FIG. Sis a section on the line VV of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view ofa second embodiment of trolley according to my invention; and

FIG. 7 is a section on the line VIIVII of FIG. 6.

Referring to the drawings I have illustrated a crane trolley 10 adapted to run on trackway 11. The trolley is provided with two spaced-apart apart sliding bases 12 and 13 each having depending shoes 14 engaging ways 15 extending on opposite sides of well openings 16 and 17 in trolley 10. Each of bases 12 and 13 is provided with a hydraulic shift cylinder 18 having pistons 19 connected together by a universal connection 20. The trolley 10 is provided with a depending guide chute 21. Mounted on each of the bases 12 and 13 is a cable drum 22 driven through gear train 23 from drive motor 24.

Depending from the trolley 10 on cables 25 from drums 22 is an adjustable spreader made up of a central member 26 having four spaced-apart parallel rails 27, 28, 29 and 30 and two end members 31 and 32. End member 31 has two parallel rails 33 and 34 spaced apart a distance equal to the distance between rails 27 and 30 and adapted to lie beneath them. Each of rails 33 and 34 has an upstanding shoe 35 engaging and sliding respectively on rails 27 and 30. Rails 27 and 30 have like depending shoes 36 engaging rails 33 and 34. Each of the shoes 35 and 36 is provided with a nylon bearing surface 37. End member 32 has two parallel rails 38 and 39 spaced apart a distance equal to the distance between rails 28 and 29 and adapted to lie beneath them. Each of rails 38 and 39 is provided with an upstanding shoe 35 identical with those on rails 33 and 34. Rails 28 and 29 have depending shoes 36 identical with those on rails 27 and 30. End member 31 has a vertical upstanding sheave carrier 40 with sheave 41 through which a cable 25 passes. End member 32 has vertical upstanding sheave carrier 42 with sheave 43 through which a cable 25 passes. A pair of cylinders 44 and 45 are fixed to central member 26. Cylinder 44 has a piston 46 attached to end member 31. Cylinder 45 has a piston 47 attached to end member 32. Movement of pistons 46 and 47 moves the end members 31 and 32 relative to the central member. Each of the end members 31 and 32 is provided with a power track 48 such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,864,907 for carrying electric power to each of the end members. Electric power to the spreader is delivered from trolley 10 through cable 49 to coiler cylinder 50 which coils and uncoils the cable as the spreader is raised and lowered relatively to the trolley 10.

The operation of the invention is as follows. The trolley 10 is moved over a container to be lifted and cylinders 18 on the trolley and 44 and 45 on the spreader are simultaneously actuated to move the cable drums 22 and the end members 31 and 32 to suit the container to be lifted. The spreader is engaged on the container and the container lifted by the spreader through cables 25.

In FIGS. 6 and 7 I have illustrated a second embodiment of trolley for use with my invention. In this embodiment only one base 12a is shifted. Base 12a is mounted on wheels 60 instead of the sliding pads used on base 12 of the first embodiment. The base 12a may be moved by a hydraulic piston or by a drive motor acting on wheels 60 to move them on rails 61 toward the stationary base 62. The spreader structure and operation are exactly the same as in the first embodiment. Wheels can of course be substituted for the pads in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-5.

In the foregoing specification l have set out a preferred embodiment of my invention, however, it will be understood that this invention may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

1. An adjustable spreader beam structure comprising a wheeled trolley adapted to run on an overhead trackway, a pair of spaced sliding bases on said trolley, a cable drum and drive therefor on each of said bases, means for sliding said bases relatively to one another on said trolley, cables depends from each of said drums, a spreader beam suspended on said cables, said beam having a central member, a pair of extensi ble end members slidable on said central member, and means on said central member moving said extensible end members in unison with and in alignment with the cable drums.

2. An adjustable spreader as claimed in claim I wherein the means for sliding said bases is at least one hydraulic cylinder.

3. An adjustable spreader as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means for moving the extensible end members is hydraulic cylinder means.

4. An adjustable spreader as claimed in claim 1 wherein the central member of the spreader is provided with four depending spaced parallel rails and each of the end members is provided with two upstanding rails corresponding in spacing to two rails of the central member and sliding shoe means connecting said rails of the central member and said rails of the end members.

5. An adjustable spreader beam as claimed in claim 4 wherein the rails of one end member match the two inner rails of the central member and the rails of the other member match the two outer rails of the central member.

6. An adjustable spreader beam comprising a central member, a pair of extensible end members slidable on said central member, means on said central member moving said extensible end members relatively to said central member and each other, said central member of the spreader being provided with four depending spaced parallel rails, each of the end members being provided with two upstanding rails corresponding in spacing to two rails of the central member and sliding shoe means connecting said rails of the central member and said rails of the end members. 

1. An adjustable spreader beam structure comprising a wheeled trolley adapted to run on an overhead trackway, a pair of spaced sliding bases on said trolley, a cable drum and drive therefor on each of said bases, means for sliding said bases relatively to one another on said trolley, cables depends from each of said drums, a spreader beam suspended on said cables, said beam having a central member, a pair of extensible end members slidable on said central member, and means on said central member moving said extensible end members in unison with and in alignment with the cable drums.
 2. An adjustable spreader as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means for sliding said bases is at least one hydraulic cylinder.
 3. An adjustable spreader as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means for moving the extensible end members is hydraulic cylinder means.
 4. An adjustable spreader as claiMed in claim 1 wherein the central member of the spreader is provided with four depending spaced parallel rails and each of the end members is provided with two upstanding rails corresponding in spacing to two rails of the central member and sliding shoe means connecting said rails of the central member and said rails of the end members.
 5. An adjustable spreader beam as claimed in claim 4 wherein the rails of one end member match the two inner rails of the central member and the rails of the other member match the two outer rails of the central member.
 6. An adjustable spreader beam comprising a central member, a pair of extensible end members slidable on said central member, means on said central member moving said extensible end members relatively to said central member and each other, said central member of the spreader being provided with four depending spaced parallel rails, each of the end members being provided with two upstanding rails corresponding in spacing to two rails of the central member and sliding shoe means connecting said rails of the central member and said rails of the end members. 